Sleeve cylinder powered drilling machine

Claim 2

An earth drilling machine for rotating and translating a sectional drill stem which carries cutter means at its end distal the machine, comprising: a guide column including a fixed piston head thereon intermediate the ends of the column; a frame supporting said guide column at both of its ends, said frame including first and second end frame members, and additional support column means offset from said guide column, said additional support column means and said guide column both being rigidly interconnected between the first and second end frame members; tubular first wall means surrounding said column and with said column forming a variable volume fluid chamber on each side of said fixed piston head, said tubular first wall means including a second fixed piston head thereon intermediate its two ends; tubular second wall means surrounding said tubular first wall means and forming therewith a variable volume fluid chamber on each side of said second fixed piston head; rotary drilling equipment secured to said tubular second wall means to be carried thereby; and means for selectively delivering fluid to and removing fluid from said variable volume fluid chambers, for driving the tubular first wall means along said column and the tubular second wall means along said tubular first wall means.

Claim 3

A drilling machine according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the passageway means for delivering fluid to, and removing such fluid from, the variable volume fluid chambers formed by and between the tubular first wall means and the column is located inside said column.

Claim 4

A drilling machine according to claim 1, wherein said column comprises a pair of tubular members interconnected by a plug member having opposite end portions connected to said tubular members, and a center portion which forms said piston head.

Claim 5

A drilling machine according to claim 3, wherein one of said tubular members includes an end portion opposite the plug member having a fluId passageway therein communicating with the interior of said tubular member, and wherein the plug member includes a passageway communicating the interior of such tubular member with the variable volume chamber formed by and between such tubular member and the tubular first wall means.

Claim 6

A drilling machine according to claim 3, wherein a tube defining a fluid passageway extends through one of said tubular sections to and through the connecting plug member and communicates with the interior of the second tubular section, and wherein said plug member includes a passageway communicating the interior of said second tubular section with the variable volume chamber formed by and between such second tubular section and the tubular first wall means.

Claim 7

An earth drilling machine comprising: a base frame member, a pair of laterally spaced apart guide columns rigidly secured to said base frame member and projecting upwardly therefrom, each in parallelism with the other, each said guide column including a fixed piston head thereon intermediate its two ends; tubular first wall means surrounding each said column and with said column forming a variable volume fluid chamber on each side of its fixed piston head, each said tubular first wall means including a second fixed piston head thereon intermediate its two ends; a tubular second wall means surrounding each said tubular first wall means and forming therewith a variable volume fluid chamber on each side of the second fixed piston head; a traveling cross frame rigidly interconnected between each of said tubular second wall means, to be carried therewith and guided thereby along said guide columns; rotary drilling equipment secured to said traveling cross frame means to be carried thereby; means for selectively delivering fluid to and removing fluid from the said variable volume fluid chambers, or driving the tubular first wall means along said columns and the tubular second wall means along said tubular first wall means; a head frame member rigidly interconnecting the ends of the two guide columns opposite the base frame member; and additional support column means offset from said guide columns, said additional support column means being rigidly interconnected between the head frame member and the base frame member.

Claim 8

An earth drilling machine comprising: a base frame member, a pair of laterally spaced apart guide columns rigidly secured to said base frame member and projecting upwardly therefrom, each in parallelism with the other, each said guide column including a fixed piston head thereon intermediate its two ends; tubular first wall means surrounding each said column and with said column forming a variable volume fluid chamber on each side of its fixed piston head, each said tubular first wall means including a second fixed piston head thereon intermediate its two ends; a tubular second wall means surrounding each said tubular first wall means and forming therewith a variable volume fluid chamber on each side of the second fixed piston head; a traveling cross frame rigidly interconnected between each of said tubular second wall means, to be carried therewith and guided thereby along said guide columns; rotary drilling equipment secured to said traveling cross frame means to be carried thereby; means for selectively delivering fluid to and removing fluid from the said variable volume fluid chambers, or driving the tubular first wall means along said columns and the tubular second wall means along said tubular first wall means; a head frame member rigidly interconnecting the ends of the two guide columns opposite the base frame member; and additional support column means offset from said guide columns, said additional support column means being rigidly interconnected between the head frame member and the base frame member.

Claim 9

A drilling machine according to claim 6, wherein said head frame member, said base frame member, said guide columns and said additional support column means all together form a rigid closed box frame structure.

Claim 10

A drilling machine according to claim 7, wherein said additional support column means comprises at least one column member which is rigidly connected at one end to the base frame member adjacent the side boundary thereof and is rigidly connected at its opposite end to a corresponding side boundary of the head frame member.

Claim 11

The drilling machine according to claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the passageway means for delivering fluid to, and removing fluid from, the variable volume fluid chambers formed by and between the tubular first wall means and the columns is located inside of said columns.

Claim 12

A drilling machine according to claim 6, wherein each said guide column comprises a pair of tubular members interconnected by a plug member having opposite end portions connected to said tubular members, and a center portion which forms the piston head.

Claim 13

A drilling machine according to claim 10, wherein one tubular member of each guide column includes an end portion opposite the plug member for such column, which end portion has a fluid passageway therein communicating with the interior of such tubular member, and wherein each plug member includes a passageway commuting the interior of its said tubular member with the variable volume chamber formed by and between such tubular member and the tubular first wall means.

Claim 14

A drilling machine according to claim 10, wherein in each guide column a tube defining a fluid passageway extends through one of said tUbular sections to and through the connecting plug member and communicates with the interior of the second tubular section, and wherein said plug member includes a passageway communicating the interior of said second tubular section with the variable volume chamber formed by and between such second tubular section and the tubular first wall means.

Claim 15

An earth drilling machine for rotating and translating a section drill stem which carries cutter means at its end distal the machine, comprising: a frame including at least one fixed guide column including a fixed piston head thereon intermediate the ends of the column and support means anchorable at a drilling site and supporting said guide column at both of its ends; said support means comprising, first and second end frame members, and additional support column means offset from said guide columns, said additional support column means and said guide columns both being rigidly interconnected between the first and second end frame members; tubular wall means surrounding said column and with said column forming a variable volume fluid chamber on each side of said fixed piston head; rotary drilling equipment; means mounting said rotary drilling equipment on said tubular wall means; and means for selectively delivering fluid to and removing fluid from said variable volume fluid chambers, for driving the tubular wall means, and the rotary drilling equipment carried thereby, along said column.

Claim 16

An earth drilling machine for rotating and translating a section drill stem which carries cutter means at its end distal the machine, comprising: a frame including at least one fixed guide column including a fixed piston head thereon intermediate the ends of the column and support means anchorable at a drilling site and supporting said guide column at both of its ends; said support means comprising, first and second end frame members, and additional support column means offset from said guide columns, said additional support column means and said guide columns both being rigidly interconnected between the first and second end frame members; tubular wall means surrounding said column and with said column forming a variable volume fluid chamber on each side of said fixed piston head; rotary drilling equipment; means mounting said rotary drilling equipment on said tubular wall means; and means for selectively delivering fluid to and removing fluid from said variable volume fluid chambers, for driving the tubular wall means, and the rotary drilling equipment carried thereby, along said column.